Wants and Needs
by Aryashi
Summary: Early in Zuko's search for the Avatar, he explored the Foggy Swamp. After wandering off, he meets the oddest woman.


Wants and Needs

Zuko trudged through the thick, muddy soup that passed for ground in the Foggy Swamp. The air was full to the brim with moisture, and thick steam was rising from every surface. Various shades of green covered _everything_, making it almost impossible to tell where the ground stopped and the trees started.

Water and Green. Two things he most certainly _hated._

The place disturbed him, in a way that couldn't be pointed out and burned away. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing at full attention, and his scar prickled like a waking limb. Something about this Swamp was just…. _Wrong. _

And those stupid shrieking birds where definitely NOT helping anything.

"Uncle! Hurry up! We need to get back to the ship!" Zuko yelled.

"Just a minute nephew! I think I may have found the rare Dragons Tongue! It is said to produce the spiciest tea in all the nations! … That, or the Deadly Phoenix Tail, which paralyzes at the slightest touch…"

Zuko was possessed by the sudden urge to set something (Preferably old, short, and tea obsessed) on fire. Instead, he stormed off into the green mush, which (in retrospect) was probably just as stupid.

One of those Birds shrieked again, and Zuko realized he was totally lost.

He had no idea how long he had been walking, and it was impossible to get a good look at the sun through the thick green sludge and vines that seemed to cover anything and everything.

Zuko knew he must have left some form of trail to follow, but when he turned around, he only saw more of the same shade of green. No tears, no footprints, no _nothing. _

Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, sent out by his Father, Fire Lord Ozai, to capture the single largest threat to the Fire Nation's conquest, did not feel lesser emotions like _fear._

But he was certainly allowed to be anxious.

"Uncle!"

Silence.

"_Uncle Iroh!"_

One of those Agni-Damned birds shrieked again.

That's about when Zuko started walking _very quickly. _Not running, of course, just walking fast.

"Uncle! Uncle, where are you?"

He tore at the green, spread some fire (which didn't catch) and continued at his most-defiantly-_not_-running pace.

Then he speed up.

There was only green. No rocks, no trees, no vines, no bushes, just endless green glop. Green green green _green green green-_

Red.

Zuko skidded to a halt, almost falling flat on his butt in the sludge.

"Mom?"

It was that cloak. The one she had been wearing the night his life really started to end. Her back was turned away from him.

And she was walking into the brush.

"Mom!"

He didn't care that he was running. His mom was _right there _and he couldn't let her vanish, _not again-_

He reached out and grabbed for her, but his hand found only air.

Suddenly she was gone, as though she had never been there in the first place. It occurred to Zuko that she probably hadn't been, and he had most likely inhaled some swamp gas that made him hallucinate. He cursed and, slamming his fist into a tree.

"'Ey! Whatchu' doin, boy?"

Zuko looked up, and saw an old woman with tan colored skin standing on the balcony of what appeared to be a boat. Which was in a large tree. Zuko was often amazed by the stupidity of the Earth Kingdom citizens, but this was a new record.

"Ya lost? Mama Odie can help, ya know. She _knows_ thi swamp."

Zuko scowled. "I don't need the help of a peasant!"

"Well, this is your luck-e day. I aint any kind o peasant."

Zuko's scowl deepened.

"Why don't ya come up? I know I got some tea around here somewhere."

"I won't drink anything made by the enemy." He said, chin rising in defiance, "And I was just leaving!"

"Oh really?" the old woman said, rocking back lazily.

"Yes, really!" Zuko yelled, turning on his heel and marching away.

"Well if yous all set on leaving, would you mind telling a bored ol' woman where ya gonna go?"

Zuko paused mid step, temper flashing. Smoke poured out of his clenched fists.

"I'm going back to my ship," He said through gritted teeth.

"Well, ya might wanna turn around. The coast be thata way." She was pointing in the opposite direction.

Zuko let out a frustrated sound, then turned and started stomping angrily towards the rope ladder hanging of the boats railing.

"I will use your map, and then I will leave. You will not object or fight back and there will be no trouble." Zuko said reciting the words he had learned to say when commandeering supplies from villages.

"Awl right, awl right," the old woman said, chuckling to herself. "Ya be in charge."

Zuko didn't respond, but had to reign in his temper. He couldn't burn the ladder.

"Here ya go," Mama Odie said, placing a cup of tea in front of him. Zuko took it, brought it up to his nose, and sniffed carefully. It smelled… spicy. That alone got his mouth watering. He hadn't had anything spicy in ages. Seasonings were expensive, and the small allowance father was willing to give him could be wasted on luxuries.

He took a tentative sip, and his tongue exploded with fire. The flavor danced a passionately danced all over his taste buds, sparking and flying and awakening him like the bland Earth rations simply couldn't do.

"Mmmm…" he said spite of himself.

"Good aint it? Dragon's tongue. Now _that _got some zang to it!"

Zuko shook his head, carefully out the tea down, and regained his senses.

"I came in here for a map. Where is it?"

"Sheesh, ya don't quit, do ya? Guess that's why they got huntin the Avatar an all…"

Zuko flinched, visibly.

"Wha? Ya think Mama Odie don't know her stuff just cause she live in the swamp?" She laughed good naturedly "The things I hear would make soldiers blush!"

"Do you know where he is?" Zuko said in a voice that seethed with barely controlled anger.

"Me? Nope. If I did, I go find him an smack him upside the head for waitin too long."

"Then could you stop wasting my time? I need to get back to my ship,"

"Ya _wanna _get back to ya ship."

Zuko growled. "Will you stop playing games and tell me what I need to know?"

"What ya _wanna _know."

"Stop that! I know what I need!"

"When did I eva say ya didn't?" Mama Odie said, pouring herself some Dragon Tongue tea. She then drank the whole thing in one gulp. "The thing is, most don't. They know what they want all right, and they'll chase it till the ends o the earth. But they be blind to what they _need. _Mighty sad to see someone foolin' demselves like that." Mama Odie wasn't looking at Zuko. Rather, she was staring sadly into her empty cup, as though disappointed there wasn't more.

There was a long pause, and then Zuko _exploded. _

"I _need _to capture the Avatar. I _need _to regain my honor. And no hag lining in the middle of the Agni Forsaken swamp is going to tell me otherwise!" 

He started for the door, paused, turned around, grabbed the tea, gave Mama Odie a look that said _Got a problem?, _and then left for real.

Just as he was nearing the edge of the clearing the Boat tree was in, he heard Mama Odie say "There a path behind the tree. Leads straight to the coast. Ya got that?"

Zuko stopped. He turned and started walking towards the back or the tree, careful to never look in the direction of the boat.

When he was gone, Mama Odie sighed. "Juju! Ya can come out now!"

The snake slowly slithered down from the boats roof, curling around the Voodoo woman's neck and licking her cheek affectionately.

"Aw, you sweetie. Sorry 'bout tha… You look scary as nothin' else here, and tha boy needed help."

She looked off in the direction he had gone.

"Hope he figures it out, someday."

Zuko walked into the ships clinic, hurrying, but not running.

"Uncle! The crew told me you were in her. What happened-" Zuko cut off mid-sentence, and slapped his forehead.

Iroh, Dragon of the west, was laying on his side, paralyzed in a kneeling position.

"Turns out, it wasn't Dragon's tongue after all." He said awkwardly through paralyzed lips

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose angrily.

"I'll be in my quarters." He said, making sure to leave the cup of still steaming Dragons tongue tea on the table beside Uncle's bed, right in front of his face.


End file.
